Evergreen
by StrawberryMerry
Summary: A compilation of sweet, sexy, and fun moments in Ulquiorra and Orihime's relationship. One-shots. Ratings K-M.
1. Happiness

Happiness

He gazed down into the crib at the small baby boy dressed in green footie-pajamas. His son was not even a year old and he already had a full head of thick black hair. He often found himself just staring forever at his son in absolute wonder. That he took part in creating something so _good_ left him in disbelief. Along with the onna, there was nothing more important to him.

"What are you thinking about?"

Her soft voice and her dainty hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts, and his gaze moved from their baby to her. She was smiling up at him, softly. He held her gaze for a few long moments without answering before looking back at their sleeping child. Her hand moved to his back and he felt her rest her head on his shoulder.

"You love him, you know?"

"Is that what this is?" He pondered this quietly. It seemed that humans had a sort of obsessive fixation on defining what 'love' was. It didn't seem important to him anymore. Before, he'd just been curious, but now he knew that even if he understood it, it would change nothing. He'd still feel as he did now for his son and the woman at his side. If this was 'love', then so be it.

"You'll be the best father."

"How do you know that, onna?" He had his doubts. He wasn't brought up with the same sentiments as the other inhabitants of this planet. He wasn't entirely sure what a childhood should be like. The responsibility of nurturing a child was incredibly daunting. The abject fear he felt every time he imagined his son growing to dislike him nearly crippled him mentally. Many disliked him—most, actually. He was cold, unreadable, and too honest. The fact that a woman as warm, kind, and beautiful as Orihime could 'love' someone like him still confounded him. He knew she'd never dislike him, but their son? They were the only two beings whose opinion of him actually mattered.

"Because I know you."

He looked at her again. She always managed to make the most obvious things the most honest of truths. She did know him. She was the only other person other than himself that did, and he didn't even have to try to show her. She could read him, she understood that the things he said weren't always as harsh as they sounded, and she loved him. She had confidence that he'd be a good father to their child, and just knowing that she sincerely believed that gave him faith in himself that he would be.

The slight tension in his shoulders eased when she leaned upwards to gently kiss him. "I'm tired…" She yawned behind her hand, quietly.

"Go to bed, onna." It wasn't an order, but a suggestion, and as always, she knew that.

"I can't sleep if you're not there." She wasn't seducing him—she never had to try. He understood what she meant, because he was the same. Countless nights he found himself laying in their bed alone, his eyes open as he waited for her to come upstairs and curl up against him. It never mattered how tired he was, he just couldn't sleep without her.

He felt her pull gently on his arm and he followed as she guided him to the green armchair in the corner of the baby's room. He took a seat and allowed her to sit across his lap. Yawning once more, she tucked her head in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes. He looked at her face, and even though he knew she was still awake, he brought up a hand to gently run his fingertips over her smooth cheek. She sighed softly, but didn't speak or try and stop him. He liked to do this often, and she didn't mind. She was so beautiful—the closest thing to perfection he'd ever come across. She was innocent in every sense of the word. She was the embodiment of what it was to be good. She was what the human race was always struggling to become. And she was all his.

She made him many things, but above all else she made him selfish. He wanted her attention all of the time. He wanted to see her, to be with her, to touch her, always. And he became like this because she spoiled him. With just the first tentative touches, hesitant kisses, and mumbled words, he'd become addicted to her. Every blush, every laugh, every tear, and every breath from her, he wanted only for himself.

"Ulquiorra?" She didn't open her eyes, but remained peacefully relaxed against him.

"What is it?"

"I want to take the baby to the park tomorrow…" She yawned. "The weather is supposed to be nice."

He watched her as she dozed off, contemplating the simplicity of his new life. Yes, she had changed him. It was with a strange sense of shame that he remembered himself before she had come into his life, and how he used to believe that physical strength and lack of emotional ties were the only way to true fulfillment. He hadn't realized until the day that she had made him _want_, how empty he'd been. How meaningless his life was. And now, it were the small things that he found himself completely fascinated by and that satisfied him to the fullest—waking up every morning in their warm bed with her resting peacefully in his arms, the loud cries of their newborn son in the middle of the night, the excited look in her eyes every time she was about to cook, the way she hummed to herself when cleaning the house, the first time he felt his son grasp his finger in his small hand, walks in the park…

His gaze went back to the white crib across the room. The moonlight shining through the curtains highlighted the baby's moonlight skin in the dark, so much like his own. Slowly, the baby awoke from his quiet sleep, revealing eyes that Ulquiorra had grown so used to seeing when the onna looked at him. He watched, fascinated as always, as the baby opened his small mouth to release a short, gasping cry. It was a warning that Ulquiorra had grown too used to over the passing months. Before a second breath could be taken, the baby's face scrunched up, his chubby cheeks flaring a delicate pink, and he wailed. Instantly, Orihime jolted awake in his arms and was out of his lap and dashing to the crib to pick up their baby boy and hold him close. Ulquiorra watched as she gently swayed to some silent tune as she tried to calm the baby. Her eyes were still a little clouded from sleep, but that did nothing to obscure the obvious warmth and joy shining bright in her eyes as she smiled softly into their son's teary face.

Gently, she tapped the baby's small nose with her fingertip and the small bedroom was filled with a gurgled giggle that made Ulquiorra's chest light. He wasn't entirely sure, but…this just might be happiness.

**A/N: This is just going to be a giant compilation of one-shots with various ratings (K-M). Although there's probably going to be quite a lot of lemons…because that's how I do. PLEASE REVIEW! And what do you guys think would be a cute name for Ulquiorra and Orihime's baby boy? I can't decide…also, what would be a cute girl's name? I'd like to hear your ideas! :)**


	2. Valentine's Day

**Warning: This one-shot contains the most watered-down lemon ever. Really, if you don't like lemons of any kind, please do not read it. **

Valentine's Day

"_Ah! Yes! More—harder!"_

Peeking through her fingers, and holding her other hand over Ulquiorra's eyes, Orihime watched the screen, absolutely mortified. Projected on a screen as large as a high wall, a couple was in the middle of making hot, sweaty love. No matter where she looked, there was nothing to see but naked skin. The sound of the couple's moans were deafening; it was all she could hear. And looking away offered her no sort of reprieve from the erotic scene on screen, because the dark theater was filled with nothing but passionately kissing couples who weren't even paying attention to the movie.

Ulquiorra, annoyed by the way her fingertips kept accidentally poking him in the eye, removed her hand from his face. He saw her glance at him, her flushed face surprised, most likely thinking that he wished to watch the vulgar act on the screen. He knew his assumption to be correct when she folded her slender arms beneath her chest in silent upset, her cherry mouth pouting.

Leaning over, knowing that in a movie theater it was polite to either not talk or to at least whisper, Ulquiorra placed his mouth beside her ear, his eyes on the side of her face. "It is not something I've not seen before, onna." His eyes lowered to her generous cleavage.

It being Valentine's Day, she'd suggested they go out on a date. It was not something they did often, preferring to spend most of their time together at home, but Orihime, for reasons lost on Ulquiorra, had been anticipating this day for a while now. Hence the new dress she'd bought just for the occasion. Light pink and very pretty, Orihime's dress only served to draw attention directly to her breasts. Ulquiorra knew this wasn't her objective, she was never intentionally enticing, but that did not excuse the fact that the top of her dress was so ill fitting. Surely, her only pardon would be her sheer unawareness.

Pinching the top of her dress, Ulquiorra gave it a gentle tug upwards in a futile attempt to cover her, while his mouth was busy brushing her ear with his whispered words of tender punishment. "Do not treat me as a child." Touching the underneath of her chin, he guided her mouth towards his own, their eyes meeting briefly before their lips touched in the lightest of kisses. "You should know I have no interest in other wo—"

"_Mmm—yes!_"

A moan, much louder than the ones coming from the screen, drowned out his words, and with displeased emerald eyes, Ulquiorra looked over at a young couple sitting a few seats down from him and Orihime. Kissing like animals in heat, the two were practically sprawled out onto the seats, their armrests raised up so it was easier for them to lie down.

Orihime leaned forward to also see what was going on, blushing when she realized what they were doing in such a public place. But, really, they weren't the only ones with their hands all over each other. Almost every other couple in the theater was doing the same, except for her and Ulquiorra.

Settling back into the seat, Orihime tried once again to watch the movie, but she just couldn't get into it. She'd _thought_ it was supposed to be a light-hearted romantic comedy, but it seemed that all they were watching was a compilation of awkward sex scenes. She glanced at Ulquiorra to see him watching the screen, seemingly uninterested. It was difficult for her to decipher what that actually meant, though, considering he looked like that all the time. With a single finger, she poked his shoulder to get his attention. "Are you watching this?" She guarded her whisper behind her cupped hand, not that it was necessary considering she wouldn't actually be ruining the movie for anyone had she raised her voice.

"No." To be honest, he'd lost interest the moment the previews played. He didn't find going to the theater necessarily an enjoyable experience. The seats were quite uncomfortable, it usually reeked of stale popcorn—a food he greatly disliked—and truthfully, he'd rather spend his time _with_ Orihime, rather than just beside her, surrounded by strangers.

Already knowing the reason for her question, Ulquiorra stood, uncaring that he was blocking the screen for everyone seated behind him. He pocketed his hands as he lead the way down the dark isle to the exit, stopping only when he heard the unmistakable sound of Orihime tripping over someone's outstretched legs. Turning only to take hold of her hand, Ulquiorra guided them out of the theater. Once outside, however, it wasn't that much better.

It was everywhere. Banners hanging from storefronts, posters pasted to building walls, heart-shaped balloons floating in the air, and so much red and _pink_ it was blinding. Valentine's Day looked like crimson chaos, and Ulquiorra wasn't sure where to begin to make sense of any of it. Couples were everywhere, holding hands, kissing on street corners, laughing on benches…

"I didn't realize how long that movie was," Orihime commented with a slight sigh, looking upwards at the dark sky. "It's so late…"

A couple passed in front of them on the sidewalk, their locked hands swinging ardently so that it was impossible to ignore. Ulquiorra's fingers remained curled around Orihime's as she began to lead them down the street.

"Where are we going, onna?" Usually, she clued him in before their outings on where she wished to go, but today, it was all a surprise for him.

Touching her purse, which was heavier than usual, and blushing, she said: "I-I'm a little hungry…"

Despite the fact that she'd just eaten a few boxes of candy in the theater, she was still hungry. This came to no surprise to Ulquiorra, who had become used to the amount of food Orihime consumed on a daily basis. "Of course."

As they walked, every now and then she'd glance at him, anxiously. This continued all the way to the restaurant, even up to the moment when they were seated at their table. In fact, her unease seemed to have tripled, and Ulquiorra could not make sense of it.

Glancing around the restaurant, Orihime noticed something that made her frown, subtly, although Ulquiorra caught it nonetheless. At every table there seemed to be a young couple, but what struck her as strange was how none of them were sitting across from each other. Rather, they were all sitting on the same side of the table. Guys had their arms wrapped around their girlfriends, and girls were hanging onto their boyfriends like leeches, laughing loudly at every little thing that was said, while ignoring their food.

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra across from her, a self-conscious flush on her face. She and Ulquiorra _never_ sat like that…

The booth they were in was crescent shaped, and so Orihime found it easy to just scoot to the other side to sit beside Ulquiorra, her eyes downcast and pretending to read the menu. He looked at her, confused by her actions.

"Onna, why a—"

"What are you going to eat, Ulquiorra?" Her cheeks were crimson, betraying to him that her interruption had been on purpose. She didn't want him asking why she'd come to sit so near him.

As he picked up the small menu, his arm brushed against hers. He couldn't concentrate very well on reading it when he felt her legs rub against his own as she crossed hers beneath the table, the uneven sitting position causing her to lean more towards him so that her shoulder was constantly touching his. "I do not know."

And neither had time to decide before their waitress returned, wearing a very frilly pink apron with small red hearts sewn around the seaming. She smiled at both of them. "Have you decided yet?"

Orihime placed a hand atop her growling stomach, and smiled awkwardly, embarrassed. "Um…" She scanned the menu, quickly, trying to choose something, but there were too many delicious choices.

"Have you seen our Valentine's menu?" The waitress asked, bending over the table and picking up a small, red menu that had gone unnoticed by both Ulquiorra and Orihime. She handed it to Orihime, who looked at it curiously, turning it so Ulquiorra could read it also.

This menu was different from the main menu, entirely. Instead of many choices, there was only _one_ choice. For a packaged price, they could get their main course, which was some sort of oyster dish, and then their dessert, a chocolaty cake. Orihime wasn't so sure how appetizing the menu sounded, but her stomach gave another deafening growl, and the next moment she found herself saying: "I'll have that, please!"

The waitress smiled to herself, proudly, as she wrote down the order on her notepad before turning her attention to Ulquiorra. "And for you, sir?"

Ulquiorra honestly did not care at this point. He would not deny that he, too, was hungry. In the end, he decided to order the same as Orihime. This was a tactical decision. He figured that if he'd ordered something different from Orihime, then there would be no doubt that she would eat half of his meal for him, _but_ if he were to order the same as her, she'd have no desire to try his food.

When the waitress took their menus and left them alone again, Orihime sighed, grabbing a hold of her water and taking a very long sip through her straw. Her eyes were once again going from couple to couple, examining how they were acting. She noticed one of the girls had her head resting on her boyfriend's shoulder, and hesitating for a mere moment, Orihime also let her head fall against Ulquiorra's shoulder. Instantly, she felt him tense.

"If you are tired we should return home."

Orihime frowned a little. "I-I'm not tired…"

Ulquiorra could not make sense of her actions, once again. Rarely did she _ever_ behave this way in public with him. She was always so shy and overly aware of other people watching her, that even holding his hand in public made her flush crimson. Today, however, she was acting quite strange. Looking up, he glanced around the restaurant. It only took him a moment to notice the couple across from them sitting in a position very similar to the one he was in now, and it clicked. "I see." And just as he'd surmised she would, when the girl at the opposite table wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's arm in a tight embrace, Orihime did the same to him, and suddenly Ulquiorra found his left arm incapable of movement.

He was annoyed.

It wasn't that she was hanging onto him that irritated him. Given normal circumstances, he'd welcome these rare advances quite enthusiastically. But not now. Orihime was doing this simply because she felt she was _supposed_ to. He would not say anything about it, not just yet—he did not want to embarrass her or make her upset—but he doubted he would be able to handle this for the rest of the evening. He would simply ignore her advances until he felt that they were finally sincere, and not some conspicuous show of affection for bystanders.

Tentatively, Orihime rested one of her hands atop Ulquiorra's, her brows furrowing when he didn't react in any way. She lifted her head from his shoulder to glance at him. Sensing her gaze, his eyes found hers. "Are you okay?" Orihime asked him, trying not to sound as anxious as she felt. Something felt…off.

He was worrying her. And even though he was still slightly bothered by her overly forced affection, he found himself disregarding the feeling entirely when he saw the anxious crease in her brow and the slight upset in her silver eyes. Although her sudden desire to clutch onto him was inspired by the couples surrounding them, in the end she was still only doing all of this for him because she cared. He could not fault her for that. Glancing down at the tiny hand she'd placed atop his, he flipped his hand over to weave his fingers through hers, gently. His eyes met hers once more to see her expression had calmed, and her slight frown had been replaced by a soft smile that made his chest light.

Perhaps he would take advantage of this rare occasion.

Leaning forward, he brushed his mouth against hers, just to feel her breathing shakily against his lips. He felt her fingers tighten around his hand in a steel grip moments before he felt her other hand come to settle on his chest to push him away. He looked down upon her rosy face, her anxious eyes scanning the restaurant to see if anyone had been watching their little display. This reaction was normal for her. Even _he_ preferred to keep such things private, although there was always the occasion where he found himself forgetting entirely that there were others watching. But tonight, he thought that this was what she wanted.

After all, it was Valentine's Day. It's what they were supposed to do.

"Ul-Ulquiorra, what are you doing?" Her grip eased up, and her eyes returned to his, surprised and a little confused.

"I believed the example could be better set by us." She remained looking confused, but he refused to explain. Instead, he offered her a partially sincere apology. "Forgive me, onna."

Orihime nodded, sighing once more as she again took a long sip from her water. Was Ulquiorra mad at her? Maybe she was doing something wrong, despite all her best efforts to be more romantic. She eyed another couple in the restaurant that were sharing a whispered conversation in each other's ear, and her mouth tightened in slight upset.

All of a sudden, it seemed that she couldn't help but to notice how other couples were interacting, and it was making her feel inadequate, to say the least. She knew what she was like. She was shy, awkward, and easily embarrassed. She didn't do things like spontaneously kiss Ulquiorra in public, or embrace him in a bone-crushing hug and whisper sweet nothings in his ear. At least, not in public. But even at home, she was never aggressively affectionate. Rarely did she initiate anything between them—not that she had to. Ulquiorra was quite _intense_ when they were alone together, so she was never really put in the position of having to ask for his touch—a thought that made her cheeks burn an even darker shade of red.

But today was Valentine's Day. Today, women were expected to shower their boyfriends or husbands with gifts and copious amounts of affection and love.

And she loved Ulquiorra. There was not a doubt in her mind or body. If these past few years revealed anything at all, it was how much she needed him. It was as if he were the driving force that moved her body. His touch was what pumped the blood through her veins, his words put the air in her lungs, and his gaze was what moved her. Without him by her side, she couldn't imagine even the concept of happiness. Her life would be hollow, her world dry and colorless, her movements and thoughts—mechanical.

But even though she knew she loved him, was she failing at showing him? The thought had never before crossed her mind, but today, she was feeling a crushing pressure to really _show_ him that she loved him. Because, looking around, it seemed that she was the only one that seemed lost as to how to be a loving girlfriend.

Her eyes fell on her purse, and she bit her lip nervously. "Ulquiorra, I—"

"Please let me know if it is not to your liking." Orihime's words were cut off by the sudden appearance of their waitress, holding a tray with their plates. She set the dishes on the table, smiling, before wishing them both a happy Valentine's Day, and walking off.

Orihime looked down at her plate, her stomach turning in distaste. Situated in a circle around her plate were many small, gray oysters, their shells cracked open to reveal the watery, gooey insides. In the center of the plate were placed two lemon slices, and some sort of green leaf.

Ulquiorra, too, looked at the food, his green eyes wary. "What is this, onna?" He knew she had strange taste, but never had she ordered something that looked quite like this. Picking up the Valentine's menu from the table, once more he examined it, this time reading the description below the course listing. What he read made him frown. "Tell me why you chose a food considered to be a 'natural aphrodisiac'."

"Wha—it-it is?" She turned wide, surprised eyes on him to see him looking at her, his gaze telling her he did not believe her ignorance. "Ulquiorra, I promise I didn't know!"

Ulquiorra eyed his food, his appetite extinguished. He did not trust the look of the food, but that was something he could normally get over. What was bothering him was the affect the food could potentially have on him. He looked over at Orihime when he saw her pick up one of the oysters, hesitantly, before tasting it with the tip of her tongue. The pink appendage retracted back into her mouth immediately, and her face screwed up in displeasure and she slightly shook her head, before setting it back down on her plate. Although he was sure that was not the correct way of eating these, she was most likely testing her food, as she had a habit of doing.

"I thought it would be something…else. I mean, these are…" She brushed her bangs away from her face, sighing, before looking up at him. "I think I'm just going to take these home."

Ulquiorra knew what that meant. On the rare occasion that they did eat out, and Orihime had something on her plate that she did not like, she would always 'take it home'. The food would then sit in their refrigerator, untouched, until it was time for it to be thrown out. "You should eat, onna."

Taking one of his own from his plate, Ulquiorra brought it to his mouth. The shell was cool against his lips, and as he tilted it back, the watery, gray substance within slid easily into his mouth like water. When it hit his tongue, he found the taste to be so unpleasant that immediately, he just swallowed the entire thing. Setting the empty shell down, he took his glass of water and took a sip to wash the taste from his mouth.

While his face had not revealed anything of his disgust, Orihime knew he didn't like it by how quickly he'd eaten it. Usually, when Ulquiorra enjoyed his food, he didn't eat so fast. But he rarely ever complained. She couldn't count how many times she'd made something at home that he didn't care for, and he'd still eat all of it without a word of protest. She watched, warily, as he took another shell from his plate. "You're really going to eat these?"

He paused, knowing what she was about to ask. "I will not eat yours for you."

Her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. Once again taking up in cautious fingers her food, she raised it to her mouth. Closing her eyes she quickly tilted the shell so that the oyster slid into her mouth. She didn't even give it time to sit on her tongue before it was sliding down her throat. Immediately afterwards, she took a long sip from her water. One down, seven to go.

As they both tried to get through their dinner, Orihime couldn't help but to think how unhappy they must look to others. No one else in the small restaurant was really eating, anyways. They had all ordered food, but it was forgotten on the table in front of them, because they were too busy with each other.

Finishing her last oyster after Ulquiorra, Orihime laid the shell on her plate with a relieved sigh. To be honest, after the fourth one they weren't so bad anymore, but they still weren't what she'd call delicious. "I'm ready for some cake," she said, with a smile.

Ulquiorra did not share her enthusiasm. Orihime worked in a bakery, and so naturally he'd tried many different desserts, but he was not fond of sweets. He'd told her this before, but like a lot of things he said, it seemed to go in one of her ears, and then out the other.

When their waitress returned to take back their empty plates, she asked them if they were ready for dessert. Orihime welcomed it excitedly, but Ulquiorra answered the woman with a definitive: "I do not need it."

"You don't want cake, Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked this as if she couldn't even believe the notion.

"I do not like sweets."

Her heart skipped a little and her eyes darted nervously back to her purse, before returning to the waitress. "Um, well, could I just take it home, please?"

The waitress gave a slight nod, and smiled. "Of course. I'll be right back."

When Orihime noticed Ulquiorra looking at her, she knew he wanted an explanation as to why she would turn down dessert. She blushed a little. "I-I don't want to be the only one eating."

"I do not mind, onna."

She shook her head in weak protest. "But it's Valentine's Day. We're supposed to do everything together."

He frowned, looking away from her. It was those words, '_supposed_ _to_'. He didn't like them, at all.

He was beginning to feel that he did not particularly like this holiday.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Um…do you want to go to the park?"

"Fine."

Orihime looked down at the sidewalk, deflated. Every single thing she suggested, Ulquiorra would answer with a cold 'fine' that sounded as if he didn't want to do anything at all. What made everything worse was that ever since leaving the restaurant, his hands had remained deep within his pockets, and his eyes staring ahead.

He wasn't happy, and Orihime couldn't help but feel it was something she'd done.

Or _hadn't_ done. Her insecurities still eating away at her, she wondered if his foul attitude was due to the fact that she was failing to impress. She fiddled idly with the clasp of her purse, thinking about the chocolate she'd made for him, but had yet to give. But he'd said it earlier—he didn't like sweets. And she knew that, which was why she'd made the chocolate especially dark so it wouldn't be so sweet, but…the timing just felt wrong. She didn't know how to give it to him, and at this rate, she'd never be able to give it to him. She doubted such a present would mean much…

Raising her eyes from the sidewalk, she noticed a sign hanging in the window of a boutique they were passing: THIS VALENTINE'S DAY, GIVE HIM A PRESENT HE'LL WANT MORE OF. Curious, Orihime paused to look through one of the store's windows. The small store was packed with young couples that were having fun browsing the many racks of sexy lingerie inside.

"Ul-Ulquiorra…" She bit down on her lip, a little embarrassed. "I want to go in here."

Following in after her, Ulquiorra looked around the store, and in only a few moments, he knew what this was about.

Sex.

Orihime did not wear undergarments like these. After these past few years, he'd seen every undergarment she owned. He knew what her taste in print was—baby animals, robots, hearts, teddy bears, flowers, things that a child would prefer rather than an adult woman, but…none of these things could be found in this store. Everything was small, transparent, lacey, and stringy; things he never imagined her choosing for herself, and yet when he turned to look for her, he found her eyeing a tiny pair of black lace panties, although he could see it in her eyes that she wasn't entirely convinced she liked them.

Coming to stand behind her, Ulquiorra pulled a hand from his pocket and brushed his fingers along the side of her arm, surprising her so that she jumped a little. In an embarrassed rush, she set the sexy undergarment back on the rack, but as soon as she'd let go, he was reaching around her to pick it back up. Pulling one of the small silk ribbons on the side, he bent his head to whisper in her ear: "What is this, onna?"

Flustered, Orihime grabbed at the panties to take them from him, glancing around to see if anyone was watching, before turning to face Ulquiorra. She looked up into his face. "I-it's just underwear…"

Well, it wasn't _just_ underwear. It was lingerie, which served an entirely different purpose than everyday panties, and she was sure Ulquiorra knew that. She could tell by the way his eyes darkened that he didn't like being in the store.

"Tell me why we are here," he demanded, although his voice was calmly gentle. He was doing his best to tell himself he should not be concerned with the lengths she was going to impress him, but he was. He knew what it meant for a woman to wear lingerie. It was something women wore as a desperate attempt to seduce. He could not imagine being so uninterested in Orihime that he'd need her to dress herself up so inappropriately in order to want to touch her. And it was not to say he wouldn't find her alluring in such small garments, because he would. But she was just as desirable, if not more so, in her rubber duck panties. He'd always thought so, and so now he was apprehensive as to why she believed that all of a sudden she needed to change herself for him.

Orihime's stomach twisted into a big knot of worry. Ulquiorra was still unhappy. He didn't want to be here. "I-I just thought…" She examined the underwear still in her hands. "You know…because it's Valentine's Day…"

_Because it's Valentine's Day._

He was tired of hearing those words.

This holiday was a joke. That was not what he wanted to hear from her. He wanted her to ask him to go places with her, because she enjoyed his company. He wanted her to sit beside him, because it made her heart beat faster. He wanted her to hold his hand, because it made her smile. And if she decided to wear something risqué for him, he wanted her to do it because it made her feel beautiful, _not_ because it was Valentine's Day. The way this day was treated, every action, every smile, every touch, every laugh, and every word spoken seemed like an obligation.

A wave of unease hit Orihime when he did not reply to her, and dejectedly, she put the panties back on the rack. Her eyes moistened a little, and she knew he'd notice, so she kept her gaze on the floor. Absentmindedly, she played with the hem of his shirt as she spoke, her voice quiet. "Ulquiorra, I'm s-sorry."

This time, it was _his_ stomach that twisted with unease. Grabbing hold of the hand that was playing with the bottom of his shirt, he brought her eyes back to his. "For what, onna?"

He could tell that she was doing her best to not cry in the middle of the store by the way she looked away from him and thinned her lips, not answering him, probably in fear that if she opened her mouth, she'd start bawling. Leaning forward, Ulquiorra softly brushed his lips across her forehead, uncaring of the many eyes watching them. He could hear her breath hitch in her throat and, not letting go of her hand, he guided her from the store.

When they were a small distance from the shop, Orihime asked: "Where are we going?"

Simply, Ulquiorra answered her, his monotone voice deep with finality. "Home."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Her hands wouldn't stop shaking. It took her a few long moments of stabbing around the keyhole before she was actually able to get the key in. When they entered the apartment, Orihime turned to close the door, her back to Ulquiorra who had been just as silent as her all the way home. Twisting the lock on the door, she could barely make out what was in front of her through the sudden onrush of tears pooling in her eyes.

She gasped when a slender hand covered hers on the door as Ulquiorra stepped closer to her from behind, so close that she found her back pressed flush against him. His warm breath blew against her ear, and she shivered.

"Stop crying."

Snaking an arm around her waist, he pulled her closer. Brushing his lips along the side of her neck, he enjoyed the feel of her quickened pulse beneath his mouth. He could feel her shaking, and so he brought his mouth to her cheek, which he was disappointed to find damp with her fallen tears.

This was his fault. He should never have allowed his aggravation to show.

Loosening his hold on her waist, he waited for her to turn around to face him. When she did, his hand found her cheek, and he brushed a stray tear away with his thumb. Gently, he leaned in to take her bottom lip in his mouth, sucking on it softly, only to taste the salt of her tears on his tongue. Barely pulling away, his eyes met hers in the dark. "I simply do not understand this holiday."

Her thin brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"It is pointless." He knew the words were harsh, but he needed to be honest with her. His hand fell from her face so that he could wrap his fingers around one of her dainty wrists to guide her hand to his chest, where he released his hold so that she could touch him as she pleased. She blushed, and her fingers simply curled into his shirt.

She looked down, hurt. "H-how is it pointless?" She didn't understand.

"I do not understand why…" His words brought her attention back to him, and he stepped closer to her until she was pressed against the door, her hips pinned by his own. Her fingers tightened their grip in his shirt, bunching it up and pulling the collar down to expose his porcelain collarbone. "…today should be treated differently than any other day."

Using the fingers of her free hand, she played with the inky ends of his hair. "Is that why you're angry?"

"No." Smoothly, he moved aside one of the straps of her dress to kiss her shoulder, the end of his nose tickling her skin. "But I do not like how you feel the need to behave differently, Orihime."

"I-I wasn't beh—"

"You were." He brought his emerald eyes up to meet her silvery ones, their faces so close he could taste her breath on his tongue. He didn't want to make her any more upset. "Tell me why."

Unable to deny it, Orihime flushed a brilliant red, embarrassed. Finding it easier to speak when not looking at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his skin, inhaling shallowly. She knew it was a little strange, but the clean smell of his skin always managed to make her feel at ease. She sighed. "I-it's just that, seeing all those other couples today made me feel like I was doing something wrong—like, I'm not, you know, _good_."

He frowned, turning his head towards hers. "'Good'." He felt her nod against his neck in affirmation. He wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that.

"Like…I don't show you my f-feelings well…" Her face was burning up, and her heart was racing. Talking about her feelings for Ulquiorra always made her incredibly flustered. She always became overwhelmed to the point that looking at his face would most likely cause her heart to explode. "I mean, everyone we saw today was s-so _mushy_, and we're not really like that, and so I felt like there must be something wr-wrong…"

"I did not realize you were so unsatisfied, Ori—"

"That's not what I meant, Ulquiorra." Getting a hold of herself, she raised her head to look at him. "I like the way we are." Awkwardly, she again played with the ends of his hair. "I just thought that maybe _you_ were the one unsatisfied…"

The absurdity of her statement astounded him so much, that at first, he was entirely lost as to how to respond. His eyes softening, if only a little, he leaned forward to briefly capture her lips in a gentle kiss. "Such foolishness."

There was _nothing_ wrong with the way they were. When he no longer affected the speed in which her heart beat, then there would be reason for concern. When his eyes were no longer watching only her, then there would be reason to worry. But neither of those things would ever happen, and this confidence, this cemented certainty that things between them would never change for the worse, was how he knew that what they shared deserved more than just one day of the year to celebrate. The rarity of this connection, and the intensity of these feelings could not be justly commemorated enough in even a single lifetime. It was not just Valentine's Day that should be looked forward to, but rather, tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, until there was not a breath left in his body to count the seconds in which he was with her.

Finally, Orihime smiled, her heart swelling with happiness. It was amazing how Ulquiorra could say the nicest things without ever meaning to. "Oh—Ulquiorra, wait. B-before I forget…" Pushing against his chest so that he'd step back, Orihime bent down to pick her purse from the ground. Unzipping it, she reached in and pulled out a small bag with a bright red bow tied around the top. Blushing, she held it out to him. He looked at it, unsure of what she was doing. "I-I, um, I made this for you."

Taking the bag from her hand, Ulquiorra examined it. Untying the ribbon, he reached in and pulled out a flat, heart-shaped chocolate. "This is…"

Orihime nodded. "I made it really dark so it's not too sweet, because I know how you don't really like sweet things…" She glanced at him, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "But you really don't have to eat it. I-I just wanted to give you something, be-because I, um…" The words were stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.

_Because I love you._

And even though she didn't say the words, he still heard them. She'd made this for him because she cared for him, _not_ because it was Valentine's Day. His chest tightened as it did every time she confessed to him her true feelings, and he had to stop himself from pressing her back into the door and taking her right there and now. Instead, he took a bite of the chocolate, his eyes meeting her anxious ones in the dark. As the sweet began to melt on his tongue, he closed the distance between them once more, and raising the other half of the chocolate to her mouth, he pressed it between her lips. It slipped in easily, and her tongue inadvertently moistened his thumb, some of the melted chocolate spreading across his skin. Bringing his hand to his mouth, he licked the small amount of chocolate from his thumb, his eyes not leaving hers.

Orihime's heart thudded in her chest, so hard that it was all she could hear. She recognized that look in his eyes—she'd seen it so many times before. It was feral, intense, unforgiving, and it made her body weak with the knowledge of knowing what was to come.

And she was right.

He knew it was uncouth to do this here, but he was under the impression that she didn't mind as he pushed her up against the door and she tangled eager hands into his hair as their mouths connected in a heated kiss. He could taste the bitter sweetness of the chocolate as his tongue caressed the inside of her mouth, the taste only escalating his hunger for her. When he pulled away, he could feel and hear her panting softly, the sound of it causing a rush of excitement to course through his veins. Pressing himself harder against her, he nipped at her earlobe, causing her to gasp and arch against him, her breasts pushing against his chest so that he could feel her heartbeat beating next to his own. He paused, just to listen to her erratic breaths and to soak in the feel of her impassioned fingers tangled in his hair, silently begging for more.

His fingers brushed the backs of her thighs beneath her dress, and turning his head, he laid a soft kiss to her cheek, bringing her eyes to his. Not breaking eye contact, he smoothed one of his hands across her stomach to feel her skin. She inhaled sharply, her stomach dipping beneath his hand. Knowing what he was about to do, Orihime reached down to hold his arm in weak protest. "Ulquiorra, don't—"

But the words died in her throat, immediately, when she felt his slender fingers slide past the elastic hem of her panties. Gently, he touched her, his fingers sliding through her velvet folds with ease, causing her to bite down on her lip to muffle the sound of her embarrassed moan. Her hands fell from his hair to grip at his shirt, and as his long fingers continued to touch her, she began to pull harder at his shirt until the first few buttons were pulled from their buttonholes, exposing more of his porcelain skin.

He watched her face, mesmerized by the brilliance of the red adorning her cheeks, and how her usually vibrant gray eyes misted over to look smoky. Her mouth parted slightly, and he found himself unable to resist. Slipping his tongue inside her mouth, he swallowed her breathy whimpers as he allowed one of his fingers to slip inside of her.

He wanted to make her feel good, the only way he was certain he knew how to. While she had believed herself wrongly inadequate earlier, he had _always_ thought of himself as not good enough. He did not know how to convey his feelings through any other means than this. _This_ was the physical manifestation of what he felt for her. What they felt for each other. He touched her gently, slowly, savoring the feel of her flawless skin. It was through his touch that he told her she was perfect, and it was the way in which she gasped and arched against him that allowed him to hear her gratitude. When he kissed her, his mouth spoke silent promises that he could never voice. That she was beautiful, and strong, and that he needed her. This heart in his chest was there only to beat for her. It thrived off of her smile, her touch, her words, but most of all, it grew because of her love for him. And although he would never say it, and although he would probably never be able to fully comprehend what the word meant, if he _did_ feel so strongly about something, then there was no doubt in his mind that the feeling was only for her.

"Ul-_Ulquiorra_…" She gasped his name as she began to rock against his fingers, her body having taken control of her mind to the point that she couldn't feel anything other than the pleasure brought to her by his hand.

Warmth spread through his chest, the sensation overwhelming him to the point that he found himself pressing his forehead to hers, just to ease the lightheadedness. His own arousal pressed painfully against the inside of his pants, but when Orihime reached for the button of his pants, he stopped her hand. Her hazy eyes met his, and he brushed his lips across hers in a futile attempt to ease her confusion.

Tonight, he would touch her. This was not about him. He wanted to show her that today's efforts to make him happy had not gone to waste.

"Ah—Ulquiorra, I—" She clenched her eyes closed, burying her head in the crook of his neck. He could feel the heat from her face warming his skin, and he knew what was about to happen. Slowly, he slipped his fingers from inside of her, almost smirking when he heard her sigh in disappointment. He wrapped his arm around her back, cradling her against him as she calmed down a little. Eventually, she lifted her head, a shy pout gracing her cherry lips.

"You're dissatisfied," he teased, removing his hand from between her legs. His fingers were glistening with moisture, and he brushed them over her thigh, enjoying the mortified flush it brought to her cheeks.

Instead of answering, her hand again dove between them towards the button of his pants, and he again stopped her, this time not releasing her hand. Leaning forward, he kissed a path along her jaw line to her ear.

"You seem impatient tonight."

She brought her eyes to his, unhappy with his teasing. It really wasn't fair of him to bring her so near climax, only to have her crashing back down. Also feeling the burning desire for release, Ulquiorra unfastened his pants, his mouth working a wet path down her neck.

Sometimes it amazed him as to how familiar he'd become with her, and she to him. No longer did she try to cover herself from his eyes, and no longer was he hesitant about touching her. They were as comfortable with each other as they were with themselves. He knew her body as well as his own. He knew where to touch to make her gasp the loudest, and she knew exactly how to get his heart racing, although it was effortless anyway.

He understood now what true passion was. Before, when these feelings had been new, he would've thought it disgusting to touch her in such a place. It was animalistic, crude, a sign of his impatience. But he knew, now, that it only seemed that way. Because right now, as he found Orihime dragging him down to the tiled floor of their apartment's entrance to lay beside their shoes and umbrellas, he could not help but to feel that _this_ was anything but simple lust. It was this eagerness to touch each other that betrayed the intensity of their feelings. They knew each other so intimately, and they felt so at ease with each other, that doing something like this in a place like this was the last thing from their minds. All they could see, all they could think about, was each other.

This feeling was all consuming.

When he finally entered her, she arched her back from the ground, her exposed breasts brushing his naked chest. His eyes locked onto hers as he began to move inside of her, gently, his breathing staggered and his hair plastered to his damp face. Hovering above her, supported by his arms, he reclaimed her mouth, a spasm of pleasure jolting down his spine upon feeling her whimper softly beneath him.

He could barely breathe, his chest felt as if it were going to explode, his body felt weak and shaky, his thoughts were muddled, his eyesight—dazed. And it was _this_ feeling, all of it, that was the best feeling in the world. And it was this woman beneath him that was the most perfect thing to ever be.

It was when they were connected like this that he could feel his fingers wrapping around that feeling that had once been so elusive to him. And now, as his hips rocked forwards against hers, and as her fingers curled against his shoulders, he tried to think of the word, but couldn't, because in it's place was only her name.

_Orihime_…

And although it was difficult for him, he held onto his control until she came beneath him, burying her head in the crook of his neck and whispering his name over and over, until he could not resist any longer. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of his name from her lips as he came.

His eyes opened when he felt her softly kissing a path along his shoulder, and he brought a hand up to touch the back of her head.

As he watched her continue to sweetly kiss his skin, he wondered if all the couples they'd seen earlier that day felt this way, also. But for some reason, he doubted it. It was because he and Orihime were like this every day that Valentine's Day held no significance to them. She'd compared herself to other women, but it was she that set the example. Not a day passed when she did not smile at him, or make sure he was happy, and not a moment passed that he did not appreciate her.

And she believed herself to be inadequate.

Glancing up, her heart finally regaining a steady pace, Orihime looked at Ulquiorra to find him staring at her. She blushed, self-consciously. "Ulquiorra?"

"What, onna?" He found it amusing how quickly she could revert back to her innocent self, despite the fact that they were still quite naked and entwined on the floor of their entranceway.

"Does this mean you never want to celebrate Valentine's Day again?"

Brushing the back of a slender finger across her lower lip, Ulquiorra sighed, slightly exasperated. "It does not matter, Orihime."

Because, for them, not a day passed when it _wasn't_ Valentine's Day.

**A/N: I tried really hard not to be explicit, because I felt it would take away from the main point here, but ugh… ;_;**

**I wrote a lemonade…**


	3. Dirty Talk

A/N: **WARNING: Weak lemon. Do not read if sexual content offends you.**

Dirty Talk

Ulquiorra watched the curtains flutter in the reflection of the television's blank, glassy screen. The weather was calm, warm, and Orihime had opened all of the windows in the apartment to air it out. As he sat quietly on the couch, he listened to the sing-song chirping of the birds outside, the whirring of a passing car, and the out of tune humming of the woman getting ready in the bathroom.

She had plans to spend time with her friends this evening. They'd invited her to dinner, and she'd told him that he could come along, although he was sure that was a lie. Her friends wouldn't say no to him being there, however they definitely never went out of their way to directly ask him to come. The only one that would want him there would be Orihime, and so he had calmly declined her invitation. Understanding how important her relationship with her friends was to her, he wasn't so selfish as to impose.

But he was jealous, although he wouldn't show it. Jealous, not that she had plans, but that she had plans with someone other than him. He'd come to accept long ago that he was selfish, with her above all else. He wanted all of her attention, always. But this evening she would be taken from him to spend time with her friends, Ichigo Kurosaki being among them. And if Ulquiorra was being entirely honest with himself, that was the true reason for his annoyance. That tonight he was being put second behind the shinigami didn't sit well with him.

But of course he'd never voice this to Orihime. It would upset her, make her angry. Bringing up her past feelings for Ichigo always seemed to cause this reaction in her. If there was one thing that ever got her riled up, it was Ulquiorra doubting her feelings for him. She loved him, and he was not to _ever_ forget or doubt that. Ever.

And there was really no reason to doubt her anymore. He was positive any romantic attachments she ever held towards Ichigo were long gone. Every night, and even sometimes the morning, afternoon, or evening, when her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist, all his doubts were put to rest.

But tonight, he was to remain alone. He would pass the time sitting here, waiting for her to return. Perhaps he would read, or attempt to sleep a little, although he was sure neither of these things would happen. Because he knew that every small sound he heard his attention would just be drawn solely to the door, waiting for her to come back. And while he waited, he'd only be imagining her laughter and the fun she was having with her friends, and he'd wonder if she wasn't looking forward to returning home. That seeing him would ruin her mood. He was quite aware that he wasn't a ray of sunshine.

The bathroom door opened and she stepped out, smiling at him as she approached. Both of her tiny hands were behind her neck, holding onto the unconnected ends of her necklace. With casual familiarity, she sat beside him on the couch, turning her back to him. Knowing what she wanted, he connected the ends of her necklace for her, his fingers lightly brushing her soft skin.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" She asked him for the umpteenth time, situating herself on the couch so she could look at him. She wasn't dressed up like she usually was when it was just the two of them going out together. Wearing a simple pink blouse and a skirt, it was clear she wasn't planning to impress tonight.

"You seem to enjoy hearing me repeat myself." The words were harsh, but there was a subtle trace of tenderness in the monotone of his voice.

Orihime's eyes sparked playfully, her silver orbs seeming to ignite the setting sun shining upon them. She smiled. "I'm just hoping that you'll change your mind..." Her voice was optimistic, encouraging. She took hold of one of his hands and tugged on it gently, as if silently beckoning him to come with her.

He looked down at their hands when her fingers curled around his, locking them together. "You do not need me there, onna." He heard her sigh, and he glanced up when he felt her settle into the couch so that she was leaning against him, the side of her head resting comfortably against his shoulder. The longer she stayed with him like this, the more difficult it would be to watch her leave. Her light musical voice, her glowing eyes, warm smile, and sweet perfume were already intoxicating him. Setting him at ease.

"But it'll be fun if you come…" She argued quietly. Suddenly, she felt very tired. She wasn't sure if it was how the late afternoon sun made everything glow a deep gold, or if it was Ulquiorra's calming scent, or his warmth, but she felt that if she closed her eyes she'd just fall into a deep sleep.

"So if I do not go, then you will not enjoy yourself," he commented, already anticipating her near instantaneous rebuttal.

Lifting her head, she set her chin against his shoulder and looked up into his downturned face, feeling a little flustered by the close proximity. "No, I just mean…um…" And she sighed again, unable to deny it. "Yeah."

Ulquiorra found himself a little overwhelmed by this sudden discovery. He hadn't realized how badly she'd wanted him to come with her until now. Apparently, her having fun was entirely on his shoulders.

Gently, he brought up his free hand and brushed his fingertips across her cheek. "Perhaps I am not the one who should be changing their mind." It was a selfish thing to suggest. It wasn't as if he hadn't been around her friends before, although he'd felt entirely out of place despite Orihime's best efforts to include him. So going with her wouldn't kill him. But feeling her hand in his and her body relaxed against him made the idea of being around others intolerable.

She pulled her face back a little, her brows lifting in slight surprise. "What do you mean? You don't want me to go?"

"Want…" The word was a feather-light whisper against her skin as he leaned down to brush his mouth against her cheek. He felt her fingers tighten around his, and he heard her inhale sharply. "If this is about what I want, then you already know the answer, Orihime."

"I-I do?"

Ulquiorra paused. She just wanted to hear him say it. It was simply to feed her ego; something that he so rarely did. And perhaps, maybe this evening, telling her what she wanted to hear would serve in his favor.

Moving his mouth to her ear, he said the words he'd been wanting to since she announced her plans for tonight. "Stay with me." Such honest words felt strange on his tongue, and he was hesitant to pull back so that he could look into her face. But when he did, satisfaction warmed his chest upon noticing the rosy flush on her cheeks.

The decision was easy. In never took much for Ulquiorra to persuade her. Orihime nodded weakly, biting down on her lower lip to hold back an overly pleased smile. She didn't want him to know that she'd been anxiously waiting for him to ask this. "Okay."

He was surprised by how easy it was to sway her, despite his face not showing it. He'd definitely thought it would take more convincing on his part to persuade her to stay with him. Obviously she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. To blow off plans with her friends so easily…

Wordlessly, he leaned forward to capture her mouth in a gentle kiss. He'd only meant it to be a simple show of his affection for her, but the velveteen feel of her lips upon his sent irresistible jolts of desire burning through him, and he found himself deepening the kiss. She responded as she always did by parting her lips so his tongue could sweep inside her mouth.

He knew that she'd just brushed her teeth, which explained the taste of cool mint tingling on his tongue. Her breath was clean and warm against his lips as she panted for air whenever she had the chance before his mouth once again covered hers, stifling her breathing and making her pulse race. Tiny hands fisted in the front of his shirt, and Ulquiorra was slowly being pulled forward. All too quickly, they both found themselves laid out on the couch.

Pulling away for a moment, Ulquiorra took a second to readjust their position. He wanted to feel her long, slender legs around his hips. He wanted to feel locked against her—to be buried in her warmth without any promise of escape. His long, graceful fingers traced a light path down the front of her left leg. His calm gaze met her confused one. Panic flashed across her face as he gently separated her legs, exposing for a moment her crisp white panties. As he expected would happen, her hands came down to try and stop the hem of her skirt from rising any further. It had always amazed him that she still found ways of being shy before him, and over the most ridiculous things.

His eyes locked with hers as he settled her leg on his hip before taking her hands away from her skirt. Leaning forward once more, Ulquiorra settled his hips between her parted thighs. He could feel her quivering beneath him and he released her hands so that he could run his own along the sides of her waist to grip her hips. His mouth brushed her ear as he spoke. "I am assuming you are aware of my intentions, Orihime."

"In-intentions?" She repeated, as if she had no idea of the word and its meaning.

In silent answer, he pressed himself against her so she could really feel him. His hips grinded against hers languidly as he prolonged his self-inflicted torture. He knew she understood exactly what he wanted when she began to slowly roll her hips upwards to brush herself against him. Her legs widened instinctively and he heard her sigh as he sank deeper into her.

As he began to lower his mouth to hers once more, her silver eyes widened in sudden revelation, and she forcefully began to push against his chest. He slightly pulled away to let her speak.

"W-wait just a second!" Her face was flushed a delicate pink and her silver eyes were wide and alight with newborn desire, but also panic. "I have to call Kurosaki-kun first."

Ulquiorra's blood cooled drastically at the mention of his ex-rival's name. His frown hardened as Orihime twisted in his embrace to dig inside her skirt's pocket. Pulling out her cell phone, she began to scroll through her contacts list.

Observant as always, Ulquiorra noticed that Ichigo wasn't on her speed dial. This pleased him more than it should have. As she pressed send and held the phone to her ear, Ulquiorra resumed where he'd left off. He saw no reason to stop in the name of Ichigo Kurosaki. Snaking a firm arm around her waist, he pulled her closer to him and slowly began to kiss her neck. He felt her shiver.

"Ulquiorra, _s-stop_! I'm on th—_Hi Kurosaki-kun!"_ Her voice scaled a few octaves.

So close to her, Ulquiorra could hear Ichigo's voice on the other end of her phone. Determined to not let the shinigami ruin his mood, he concentrated on the taste of Orihime's skin while he listened. Meanwhile, his free hand began to slowly undo the buttons on her shirt. He could feel her eyes on him, but he refused to meet her gaze.

"_Inoue? What's up?"_

Orihime released a shaky breath. "U-um, well you see…about tonight…" Her breath caught as her shirt fell open, exposing her white lace bra. Her attention deviated as she watched Ulquiorra's slender fingers splay across her bare stomach. His lips still sucking gently on her neck, her eyelids grew heavy with pleasure. "Um…"

"_Inoue?_" Ichigo's voice cut through her momentary lapse of concentration, and she shook her head.

"Oh! Sorry Kurosaki-kun…" She blushed, not from embarrassment due to her lack of attentiveness, but because Ulquiorra's mouth was slowly moving from her neck to her collarbone. His lips were like velvet, and his tongue was so warm…

"_Is something wrong? Are you okay?"_

Ulquiorra withheld a smirk as he continued to work his way down the front of her body. When his lips brushed the valley of her breasts, her back arched into him impulsively. He looked up to find her watching him, her silver eyes misty with desire.

"I'm fine." Her voice sounded despondent as she answered. With her free hand, she brushed some of Ulquiorra's inky hair from his face so she could better see him. His paper cheeks were darker, and his emerald gaze was searing with desire. Grasping the hand she held to the side of his head, Ulquiorra brushed moist lips to the inside of her wrist. Her pulse jumped. "I'm with Ulquiorra."

"_Ulquiorra?" _There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone, before Ichigo asked, "_Are you calling to ask if he can come?"_

But Orihime wasn't even aware of Ichigo as her attention was entirely on Ulquiorra whose right hand had just disappeared beneath her skirt. His wet mouth had returned to the side of her neck to suck on her skin. When she felt slender fingertips caress her through her damp underwear, she gasped.

"_Huh?"_ Came Ichigo's confused reply on the phone.

Ulquiorra withheld a dark smirk as he brought his mouth to her other ear. Between her legs his fingers teasingly slid and pressed against her until he felt wet heat against his fingertips. Around his hips her legs seemed to widen, as if her body was begging for closer contact. "I believe he is waiting for your answer, Orihime."

Blushing furiously and futilely trying to ignore Ulquiorra's exploring fingers between her legs, she returned some of her attention to the phone. "S-sorry, Kurosaki-kun. Could you repeat that?"

"_Uh, I just asked if you were calling to see if Ulquiorra could come along, too." _

"Oh, um…" Orihime sighed in answer, once again distracted from the conversation as Ulquiorra's gentle fingers slipped past her underwear to touch her. The cotton barrier no longer separating them she could feel the warmth of his fingers gliding against her with practiced ease. How many times she's been touched this way she couldn't count. To say Ulquiorra was skilled was an understatement. It seemed as if everything about him was made for this, even his fingers. Long and slender, Ulquiorra's hand knew precisely where to touch in order to draw desperate moans from her. A jolt of pleasure shot through her as a smooth fingertip was placed at her entrance, and she released a shaky breath just before his fingers slid inside. Hips rising against his hand, her body silently begged for more.

"…_Inoue, what's going on? Are you sure you're alright?"_

Ulquiorra moved his gaze from her flushed face to the phone lying on the couch beside her head. Her fingers had slackened and were barely holding onto the device, and her mouth was parted, not to speak, but to release quiet, delicate breaths. She was enjoying his touch so much that she'd all but forgotten that she was supposed to be speaking to the shinigami. Once more, Ulquiorra found himself holding back a satisfied smirk.

"How do you feel, Orihime?" His voice was quiet as his whispered question floated across her skin. There was no need to ask her this, but he enjoyed hearing her answer nonetheless. Even if her answer came as her pushing against his hand to sink further onto his fingers. Beneath her skirt his long fingers continued to slide inside of her, his thumb massaging sensitive flesh, making her moan into the couch cushions. Orihime bit down on her lower lip to stifle a whimper.

"_Hey, Inoue. Rukia and I are on our way back to my place, but we're gonna stop by real fast to make sure everything is alright with yo—"_

"No!" Eyes flying open in panic, Orihime stilled Ulquiorra's hand with her own. Taking up the forgotten cell phone she held it to her ear, and twisting around onto her stomach, she tried to ignore Ulquiorra's now irate gaze. Doing her best to control her breathing, she returned her attention to Ichigo. "No, I'm fine Kurosaki-kun! There's no need for you to come over. Ulquiorra and I are j-just—" The phone very nearly dropped from her fingers and a shuddering breath spilled from her lips as Ulquiorra pressed himself against her from behind.

Ichigo's voice was frustrated. "_What the hell—" _But another gasp, this one much louder, interrupted him and on the other end of the phone Ichigo listened to Orihime sigh.

Holding aside her underwear, Ulquiorra teased her by rubbing himself slowly against her slick folds. His chest pressed into her back as he lied atop her, his mouth near her ear, he could feel and hear every tiny response. Blunt teeth nipped at her ear from behind. Setting the tip of himself at her readied entrance, he taunted her. "He'd like to know what we're up to, onna."

Ulquiorra wasn't entirely sure if her friends understood their relationship and what it was. At first he believed that they thought Ulquiorra merely a friend of hers, or maybe a stray dog would be a better description. That she cooked for him and took care of him and shared her kindness because Orihime was generous and compassionate. Eventually it seemed that they began to catch on. That the looks exchanged between him and Orihime weren't just passing glances. Perhaps it was how she sat so near him, or blushed for no apparent reason, or spoke so near his face, but one day her friends seemed to understand that their relationship was more than that of just friends. But still, Ulquiorra doubted any of them would guess that behind closed doors they were _this_ close.

Especially Ichigo Kurosaki. He seemed to treat Orihime as somewhat of a naïve child. He was completely ignorant of this side of her, and Ulquiorra found that incredibly satisfying.

Closing her eyes, Orihime knew that any attempt at controlling herself from this point onwards would be impossible. And she was right. Slowly Ulquiorra began to slide inside of her, stretching her, and filling her until every breath was but a gasp of pleasure. And although they seemed to do this often, it always felt like a new experience. Her body was familiar with his, but every time the pleasure came as a shock. Her voice was trembling, and as she spoke, she silently prayed that Ulquiorra wouldn't begin to move. Instead, he slowly snaked a firm arm around her waist to pull her closer, and he simply held her for a moment. It was only when they were so intimately connected that his guard fully dropped and he showed such rare affection for her. The feeling of his tight embrace had her shaking in his arms. "S-sorry, Kurosaki-kun. We're playing a game, you see…"

A slender hand slipped to her bare stomach, unhurriedly moving upwards until teasing fingertips found a covered breast. Dragging her bra down so that it hung near her ribs and the straps fell loosely off her shoulders, Ulquiorra's fingers began to massage her in such a way that had her clenching around him. Her breasts were full and heavy in his palm, and her rosebud nipples hard with excitement. His mouth found the back of her shoulder where he drew a line of soft kisses. He'd yet to move inside her, rather enjoying the feeling of being drowned in her silken warmth. Her body was gorgeous, and knowing that he was making her tremble with ecstasy was perfect.

Raising his eyes, he knew where her thoughts were headed when he saw her thumb glide towards a red button on her phone. "Hang up, and I will stop," he warned.

Immediately, her thumb moved away.

"_What game?"_ Ichigo asked for the second time after not being heard the first. _"If you need more players, then Rukia and I are free." _

Pulling back his hips, Ulquiorra slid from inside her silken depths before gradually slipping back in, inch by torturously wonderful inch. A muted sigh was lost in Orihime's soft hair as he continued to move inside of her, his hips rocking gently forwards. It was when he moved inside of her slow and deep that she most enjoyed it. There was always that desire to be quick and out of control, but it was only like this that she could feel every inch of him filling her.

Stifling another moan, Orihime murmured, "I-it's a two player game, Kuro—" She gasped sharply when Ulquiorra touched a place deep inside, sending sweet tremors through her body. "—saki-kun."

There was a smile in his voice. _"Well, it sounds fun, whatever it is." _

_Fun_. Ulquiorra had never thought of it in that way, but he supposed the shinigami was right. Making Orihime moan was indeed _fun_.

"_Well since you're busy, why don't we just hang out at your place, Inoue? I can just call everyone and tell them the change in plans. And maybe there's a game we'll all be able to—"_

"_Ulquiorra_," Orihime suddenly whimpered, cutting off her friend. A pair of slick fingers had just slid between her parted legs and were kneading her most sensitive flesh, eliciting hushed cries from her for more. Her free hand curled against the couch for control as they rocked forward with every gentle thrust.

Grinding against her and burying himself completely, Ulquiorra leaned forward and brushed his mouth against her reddened cheek, her temple. He knew that if Ichigo continued to listen, he just might begin to catch on. With gentle fingers Ulquiorra coaxed the phone from Orihime's shaky hand and held it to his ear.

His own breathing had been affected, but it was still far more controlled than hers. "You will not come here, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"_Ulquiorra? What kind of game are you guys playing, exactly?" _

"That is not your concern." Tiny fingers reached out towards him on the couch, and Ulquiorra knew that she was drawing close. Freeing his hands, he placed the phone on the floor. And then he grasped Orihime's searching hand and she sighed as their fingers laced. Gradually his thrusts became longer and harder, drawing out every moment of pleasure, making her senseless with impatience.

Orihime could feel it inching closer. The warm tingle, the weakening of her knees, the rush of blood through her excited body, the wonderful satisfaction that only having Ulquiorra filling her could bring. The outside world was completely shut out. Her thoughts were only of him. The feel of his fingers caressing her breasts, his mouth on her skin, sucking, biting, teasing. The wonderful crash of his hard hips against her rear as he slid inside of her with ease. It was blissful, and all too soon she was losing herself. With a tiny cry she whispered his name knowing that he'd hold her tightly as he always did.

Ulquiorra's warm mouth covered hers to drown her whimper of pleasure as her climax wracked her body. Her walls clenched down on him, and he could not resist any longer. Stilling his hips he came with her. Their mouths locked and their hands wound together tightly, Orihime and Ulquiorra drowned in each other. In the completeness that only being connected in such a way could bring. He breathed shakily against her mouth, eyes unmoving from her flushed face. And then eventually, she smiled. Hair sticking to her face and a thin veil of sweat on her overworked body, she looked just as satisfied as he felt.

They stayed this way until he gently pulled himself from her. His tongue enfolding inside of her mouth, he softly kissed her again. Turning onto her back, Orihime wrapped her arms around Ulquiorra's shoulders to bring him closer, and he fell into her warm embrace. Nothing had been fully removed, only disheveled. Orihime's shirt hung open at her sides, her breasts pulled from her bra, her skirt bunched around her waist. And Ulquiorra knew that she would call it unfair that she was the only one so exposed, and so he wasn't surprised when he found her loosening the buttons of his shirt. He knew that it wouldn't take very long before all clothing had been discarded on the floor and they were once more entwined. Neither of them were finished.

Their moment was only briefly interrupted by a voice the both of them had completely forgotten.

"_Ah, Rukia's saying I should hang up. She told me what she thinks you guys are up to, and…you know, you could've just called me…later," _Ichigo said awkwardly, embarrassment thick in his voice. _"Hey, are you listening, Inoue?"_ There was an audible sigh when he again received no response. "_Whatever._"

The blare of a dial tone filled the living room, but the tangled couple on the couch were deaf and blind to the world and took absolutely no notice. It seemed that Ichigo Kurosaki was to remain ignored, and for this evening, entirely forgotten.

**A/N: I had this in my head for a while and it was distracting me from other fics so I just decided to finish it. I hope you liked it, and if so then please review! **


	4. Distracted

Distracted

Green eyes glared daggers at the woman holding back laughter behind her hand. Sitting at the kitchen table, no longer bothering to pretend that she was reading the magazine in her hands, Orihime watched as Ulquiorra stared vacantly at the ingredients set upon the counter.

"It's okay if you want help, Ulquiorra," she teased, uncovering her smile.

In response he picked up a leafy vegetable and studied it, trying to remember how Orihime had prepared it. He would not lose this ridiculous challenge she'd so brazenly proposed. It seemed that after one meal too many in which he required copious glasses of water to wash down the putrid taste, Orihime had finally had enough of him criticizing her food. And now it was his turn to prove himself to her that he could do better. That even a novice such as himself could cook something edible, maybe even appetizing.

But his confidence was all a façade. Especially as he scanned the ingredients laid before him. Separately he could identify some of them. A carrot, an apple, garlic, pale meat he assumed was chicken. But then there were other items, mostly in small cylindrical containers, glass bottles, and boxes that he had no clue what to do with. And then he had to somehow discover a way of selecting specific items that complimented each other and combine them in either a pot, a pan, or whatever else kitchen tool he had at his disposal. Too many options only furthered his confusion, and deciding where to begin was making him much too anxious for his liking. And the pair of eyes watching his every move wasn't helping matters.

"Is there no better way for you to spend your time?" He asked flatly in hopes that she'd leave so he could somewhat concentrate.

Orihime actually took a moment to think about her answer. There were many things she could be doing. Watching television, sewing the button that had popped off her blouse the other day, reading a book. Her attention returned to the silent man standing over the kitchen counter. His dark hair had fallen into his eyes and he pulled it away with a graceful hand, frowning frustrated at the leaf of lettuce in his palm. Right now, she couldn't imagine what could possibly entertain her more than watching Ulquiorra struggle to do something so incredibly _human_. She smiled. "Nope!" And then suddenly she understood. "Am I distracting you?"

Setting down the lettuce Ulquiorra picked up one of the boxes and scanned the directions, pretending to tune her out. He was brought back to attention, however, when a black pot was set atop the stove. His frown only hardened as Orihime continued to assist him by filling it with water. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she replied innocently, coming to stand beside him. Elbows knocking, their eyes locked, his quietly irritated, hers gleeful. "I just want to watch. I won't do anything else. I promise."

This was precisely what he didn't want. Having her watching added unnecessary pressure. Around her, he always felt the need to impress. Especially now that this was a challenge. He could not lose. Setting down the box, his eyes darted to the pot of water on the stove, and then back to the ingredients. An onion rolled into his view, and he set suspicious eyes on Orihime's hand before taking it. But what was he to do with this?

"Here, use this." Opening a drawer, she handed him a knife, which he took reluctantly.

"Explain how this is you being unhelpful," he said coolly, placing the blade in the center of the onion. Pressing down he split it in two halves with a loud _schick! _Almost immediately the fumes reached his eyes and they began to sting. At first he could ignore the irritation, but the longer he stood there slicing the onion, the harder it was to keep his eyes from watering. It was out of his control.

The first tear to escape his eye was caught on Orihime's thumb as she wiped his cheek gingerly. For a moment he seemed surprised. "You're crying," she said in awe. Calling such a sight rare would be an understatement. Ulquiorra never cried. His face was always a permanent mask of indifference. So this expression now was absolutely fascinating. Beautiful, even. Another tear spilled onto his cheek, and this one he wiped on the back of a slender finger.

"There is something wrong with this…" He stared at the white vegetable, struggling to remember the name.

"Onion," she finished for him. "And there's nothing wrong with it. They make everyone cry." Even she had tears in her eyes.

Ulquiorra attempted to continue. Although the stinging in his eyes had grown to the point of being torturous, he finally managed to dice the onion into hundreds of tiny parts, which he had no idea what to do with. Again, it seemed he was stumped. And Orihime's presence beside him was overbearing. Placing the knife on the counter, Ulquiorra slid a hand to her lower back, and turning to her, brought his face closer to speak.

"Is there something you want, onna?" Usually he never bothered trying, and apparently didn't have to, but to suit his purpose he lowered his voice to an inviting whisper, making sure his words sounded as suggestive as he meant them to.

A light blush flowered upon her cheeks. "I-I just want to watch…"

Lightly, Ulquiorra pressed his mouth to hers. "You are distracting me." Smoothly, his hand slid from her back to her bottom, and he pulled her closer. His lips ghosted her cheek as he murmured, "Unless that is your plan, in which case I will abandon what I am doing now in order to _assist_ you."

_Assist_. Orihime wasn't so naïve that she didn't understand what exactly he was promising. Flustered, she stayed held to him for a moment to enjoy his embrace, before shyly pulling away. She smiled coyly when meeting his intense gaze. "Ulquiorra, really, I-I'm not trying to distract you." Somehow he always had a way of affecting her thoughts, making her second-guess her own intentions. Because now her blood was rushing hot and fast, her heart beating with excitement, and she was wondering if grabbing his attention hadn't been her plan all along.

He wouldn't let her get away that fast, though. Winding his arm around her waist, his mouth found her ear, and his warm breath blowing against her hair made her shiver. "If you do not mean to distract me, Orihime, then explain why you are so close."

To get a better look at his technique, his expression. She had only meant to watch him, but saying the words now would sound like merely an excuse to be closer to him. Halfheartedly, she pulled out of his embrace and stepped back, putting a good distance between them. "I'll go sit at the table."

Turning back to the task at hand, Ulquiorra couldn't help but feel that although his intention had been to push Orihime from his side so he could better concentrate, now he wanted to do nothing more than abandon this ridiculous chore and pull her back to him. But he knew that she was looking forward to this, and if there was any way in which he could please her, he'd do it.

Relying on instinct, Ulquiorra grabbed an orange and continued to create what would hopefully be a fine cuisine.

As he silently worked Orihime watched his back and slender frame move around the kitchen. She was fixated. It seemed that everything Ulquiorra did was with fine precision and resilient concentration, and as always, watching him was an experience. There were many moments when Orihime had to quite literally bite down on her tongue when she saw him throwing together the most stomach-churning concoctions, until finally it seemed that he was finished.

When they both sat at the table with Ulquiorra's strangely green chicken and unidentifiable purple mash of vegetables on their plates, Orihime took the first tentative bite. Eyes widening, she held up a hand to her mouth.

Having just had a taste himself, Ulquiorra was disgusted. It seemed that he'd lost. His cooking was even worse than Orihime's, something he'd adamantly thought impossible. Her current expression irked him, however. She needn't be so obvious about her repulsion.

"It's…" Orihime gasped, swallowing the first bite, "_delicious._" The explosion of flavor was mouth watering, and the texture was so interesting. In all honesty it was one of the best dishes she'd ever tasted in her life. He was a master chef. Quickly, she shoveled more into her mouth and chewed keenly.

Across from her, Ulquiorra was livid. He did not enjoy being made fun of or pitied. "Do not lie to me. I am fully aware that this—"

Her mouth full, Orihime waved a disagreeing hand. Swallowing, she said imploringly, "No, Ulquiorra, it's really good! I'm surprised!"

He was too amazed to be offended by her surprise that she found his food appetizing. Staring at her, he tried to make out any sign that she was lying to him. But her eyes were honest, and the rate in which she was eating her meal could only mean that she didn't find it revolting. His expression easing, he pushed his own plate over to her and watched as she immediately dug in, having licked clean her own plate. Of course she would enjoy his failure of a cooking attempt. She had the strangest taste in food, after all.

When she was finished, she released a satisfied sigh. "Maybe you should be in charge of dinner from now on," she suggested, smiling brightly.

He didn't say anything as he stood from the table to take both empty plates to the sink. But a small hand on his wrist stopped him.

"I'll do the dishes, Ulquiorra." Standing, she tried to pull them from his hands. "It's the least I can do after—"

Warm, gentle lips smothered her words in a tender kiss. Her hands slackened on the plates, and her startled eyes closed. When he pulled away, she was blushing. Placing the plates in the sink, Ulquiorra pulled up his white shirtsleeves and turned on the tap. As he watched the sink fill with puffy white suds, he couldn't help but think that tonight's endeavors hadn't been a complete failure if he'd managed to please her. At the end of the day, that was his only concern.

From behind, slender arms slipped beneath his arms and around his waist in a tight hug. Her cheek pressed between his shoulders, she pressed herself against his back. "Thank you."

A wet hand grasped one of hers and their fingers laced at his hip. Against his back, he could feel her heart pounding furiously, and he wondered if she was feeling embarrassed. And then soft lips brushed his neck, and gentle breaths blew his raven hair. Her arms tightened. "What are you doing, Orihime?"

Her answer came as an awkward mumble, but he heard her. "Distracting you."

Entirely forgetting the overflowing sink, Ulquiorra pulled Orihime around and pressed her to the kitchen counter. Catching her mouth in a heated kiss, he allowed her to pull at his shirt and tangle excited fingers in his hair. Tonight it seemed they were both destined to be very, very _distracted_.

**A/N: Aww Ulquiorra is secretly a sweetheart~ Please review!**


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